What's New

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
L.Z. Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$15.95

This figure is part of L. Z. Models 1/35 D7 Bulldozer and Tractor Crew series. Other figures in the series include US Army Mechanic tuning engine, and US Army Mechanic cleaning track. L.Z. states that another civilian mechanic and a British driver figure will also be released. These figures are intended for use with the new dozers from L.Z. Models, Trumpeter, Commander Models, and the new series of MiniArt dozers. I recently built PlusModel’s US Grader, but he doesn’t fit without major surgery to his legs (see photo). The driver’s legs are too short for the Grader seat. I fit him into MiniArt’s dozer seat and he fits much better.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$22.99

Mechatro WeGo robots are not as well known here as they are in Japan where the series has been a hit for a while now and their world continues to grow. Simply put, they are personal robots meant to carry children anywhere and everywhere. Here’s the detail from the web site:

“Direct from Japan’s Chubu Mechatronics, Mechatro WeGo mechatrobots have taken the world by storm! These innovative, child-sized transports are the world’s smallest mechatrobots, built for carrying kids to school, soccer practice – and everywhere else in between. Mechatrobots have made carpooling obsolete, leaving parents with more time to take care of everyday errands. The only thing mechatrobots are missing? An alarm that ensures the kids are home in time for dinner!”

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Moebius Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$34.99

The Kit

This review covers the Battlestar Galactica Viper Mark II (2 Pack) 1:72 Scale Moebius Model Kit #957. A new release, this model should be readily available at most outlets. These are resized versions of the original 1:32 scale model. Moebius designates this as a Skill Level 3 kit for modelers 12 years and older. It includes two main trees containing most of parts for each craft. It is molded in white styrene with a transparent canopy, display stand, waterslide decals and an extensive instruction manual.

There are markings for different craft in the decal sheet. I have to give Moebius Models credit for releasing this model and to IPMS for providing the review sample.

Book Author(s)
John Franklin
Review Author
Jeff Leiby
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$21.95

Background

As described on the Osprey Publishing website, “Waterloo is one of the defining campaigns of European history. The name conjures up images of the terrible scale and grandeur of the Napoleonic Wars and the incredible combined effort that finally ended Napoleon's aspirations of power in Europe. Drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts, and using detailed illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the ideal resource for studying the intense fighting at the battles of Waterloo and Wavre, the final, decisive engagements of the Waterloo campaign. Those two battles are at the heart of this study, which explores the action at Mont St Jean where Wellington managed to hold the French at bay until the arrival of the Prussians under Blücher saw the Allies secure a hard-fought victory at the dramatic climax of the ‘Hundred days'”.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$34.95

Eduard continues releases for Revell/Monograms 1/48 PBY-5A with a set designed to enhance the floats. This set is one large photoetch brass sheet with 39 pieces dominated by large sheets to be added to the floats. While some of the other PE sets are specifically for the "-5A" version, this looks like it will fit the "-5" also.

The kits has quite good detail in most places but one place it is lacking is the floats on each wing tip. The bays that the floats fold into is devoid of any detail. Also, one die of the floats has very fine detail while the other side is again devoid of detail. These two deficiencies by providing full details for the floats bays and the floats themselves.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$57.00

The Space Shuttle (actual name “Space Transportation System) was a reusable manned low Earth orbit vehicle. It consisted of the space plane which went into orbit and glided back to Earth, two Solid Rocket Boosters and the expendable fuel tank.

Shuttles were operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011, flying a total of 135 missions.

The missions ranged from launching satellites and interplanetary probes to delivering components for the International Space Station, and later delivering supplies and crew for the ISS.

There were originally 5 shuttles built, Enterprise, which had no orbital capability, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Atlantis. After Challenger was destroyed, Endeavour was built.

Book Author(s)
Adrian M. Balch
Review Author
Phil Pignataro
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$22.58

If you were a British student pilot during the late 1930’s through the end of WW II, you, most likely, spent many hours in the de Havilland D.H. 82 Tiger Moth. It was the basic training aircraft for the RAF, RN, as well as the air forces of all the British Commonwealth nations. USAAF fighter pilots in England flew 11 of them as squadron “hacks” – utility planes – until the war ended. Evidently it was not that easy to fly and demanded close attention during acrobatic maneuvers to prevent a stall and possible spin. As such, however, it was deemed suitable for future fighter pilots. Though long retired from military use, over 200 are still flying today with warbird groups and other enthusiasts. This “Warpaint Series” book by Adrian M. Balch covers these stories and much more.

Book Author(s)
Ryan K. Noppen; Illustrator: Paul Wright
Review Author
Jeff Leiby
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

Background

The website description of this title, “At the start of the 20th century the Ottoman Navy was a shadow of its former might, a reflection of the empire as a whole - the "Sick Man of Europe". Years of defeat, nepotism, and neglect had left the Ottoman Navy with a mix of obsolete vessels, whilst the list of prospective enemies was ever-growing. An increasing Russian naval presence in the Black Sea and the alarming emergence of Italy and Greece as regional Naval powers proved beyond all doubt that intensive modernization was essential, indeed, the fate of the Empire as a naval power depended on it. So the Ottoman Navy looked to the ultimate naval weapon of the age, the dreadnought, two of which were ordered from the British. But politics intervened, and a succession of events culminated in the Ottoman Navy fielding a modern German battlecruiser and state-of-the-art light cruiser instead - with dramatic consequences.

Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
Company
Airfix
MSRP
$15.99

History Brief

The Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I, among RAF pilots it had the nickname "Daffy". It was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. They were designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft without any forward-firing guns, as a two-seat turret fighter, powered by a 1,030 hp (768 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin III piston engine and 723 built. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc and the concept of a turret fighter, as it was developed in both aircraft, related directly to the successful First World War-era Bristol F.2 Fighter.

Book Author(s)
Kari Stenman and Karolina Holda
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$55.59

Mushroom Model Publication has released the second volume of the Finnish Fighter Color series. You can find a review of Volume 1 here on the reviews site.

This book, as Volume 1, is structured by aircraft type. Each aircraft type has two chapters. The first one is devoted to the historical introduction on each type including how it was procured and how it did perform in Finnish service. In many cases there are plenty of historical details on different missions including date, location, number of airplanes involved and mission kills/losses. There are no first-hand narratives of pilots involved in the action, so I suppose the information is coming from squadron records.